Opposite Elements
by Vundaluss
Summary: My piece for the Akuroku Anthology. Axel is fire. Roxas is air. A short piece about nature and humans.


Roxas loved almost everything about Axel's handiwork. It was always beautiful, warm - no, _burning_. The orange waves would engulf bodies, forests, and towns. The warm sea with its fiery waves would travel quickly and jump areas only to tarnish another living organism, turning trees to burnt toothpicks and animals to charred bones.

Axel's entire being was fire: looks, quirks, personality. He was warm but could burn so easily, causing Roxas to feel confused about the other. How could something so beautiful be so destructive?

Axel was fire.

Roxas was air.

Axel was so beautiful. He was life and death. With him people could cook – making it so that they could eat, warm themselves, and stay alive - but also with him people could become engulfed in flame only to scream and sizzle to a painful death. His dancing flames were unpredictable and caused many people to fear him while others became fascinated. Some would cringe at his sight while others cupped a small device in their hands to catch a quick hint of burning desire a few millimeters above the contraption that eventually warmed and burned their thumbs.

Roxas was one of the ones to become enamored with the flames. They licked and moved him. They caressed and tickled him. He'd often times help Axel along with gusts so more forest could be eaten and everyone could see the acid hot embers glow in the dark and mirror the ancient stars in the sky that could already be long extinct. Roxas would try to flick these small, burning stars around to bring Axel back to life.

Others could never understand to what extent the two needed each other. Wind pushed flames along and flames caressed cold wind. Roxas would mourn the loss of Axel when the two-legged strangers in their odd suits and cans on their backs killed Axel with their cousin, which was split into five masses and took up most of the world. Roxas would calm down for a short moment in surprise of the other's death before bursting forth with anger and wishing so much that he could cry, feel, _breathe_ for Axel. He'd rush off to try and find the other again in the huge world. Whenever he'd eventually feel the orange and yellow flames lick him he'd give a few happy twirls and still himself or circle the other in happiness, watching Axel in all of his beauty once more.

Axel gave his warmth to the two-legged, furless creatures, letting them bask in his warmth and survive until he was betrayed and snuffed out to leave a scarred circle and darkened, used-up fuel. He'd come back with vengeance occasionally to snap back at strangers' fingers or engulf their houses for all of the pain the aliens made him go through. But sometimes, more peaceful times, he would appear in a small, curious flame to watch the aliens' emotions flick across their features at the mere sight of him.

Wonder would shine in the aliens' eyes as Axel's light swayed on their face, lighting up the colors in their eyes and the life in their cheeks as their expressions were brightened and shown to the world. Axel would send up smoke lazily to tickle sensitive noses and let Roxas play around with it. He viewed the other as such a bright, excitable kid. Roxas could change directions easily and venture quickly from place to place, while Axel was usually left with a small crawl or a quick rage. There was only a certain speed he could go, but Roxas… Roxas was the one that could push trees down onto the ground. He could gather his strength and_ lift_ things from the dirt. Spirals could form over the land or water and leave as much or even more destruction than Axel. Roxas could fly high and kiss clouds. The occasional zephyr would show Axel Roxas's adoration, but he always whipped the idea away in a quick flash to reach up longingly to the sky.

Earth didn't like either of them. Earth was the oldest, and yet the two would still carve her flesh and shape her outer form. Her beautiful forests were reduced to deserts from Axel having too much fun. Some of her mountains were whittled away to curved mounds containing holes because of Roxas deciding to take a shortcut and not fly around his obstacles. When Earth first met Roxas and Axel, she thought the two were beautiful. They were warm and helped shape her so that plants could grow and fish could come to land and survive. They helped her, loved her, and cherished her. Roxas would play with Water and cause him to tickle Earth's shores. They all got along.

But then more and more creatures arrived and gasped Roxas, slowly taking pieces of him to store in their bodies and expel a heavier air to cling to Earth and weigh Roxas down. It only got worse as the creatures progressed and gathered the knowledge to collect chemicals and burn them for energy that Earth didn't provide them. They were greedy to erect their buildings that took up room and then grew in a short amount of time in the ancients' perspectives. They took up space, leaving less room for Roxas to flit about all while pumping him full of more quantities of different, poisonous versions of himself. Now, a person had to escape to Earth's hidden beauties to catch a whiff of flowers that carried through the sky with Roxas instead of the scent of industrialization.

Axel was angry for Roxas. It showed in the way he lost control in the creatures' houses or sprung to life at lightning strikes to Earth's surface. He'd sweep through acres to wrap his warmth around the bastards and devour them so they couldn't pollute Roxas again. Axel fought back. Earth fought back. All of them fought back for their own reasons. The creatures drilled into Earth to capture treasures all while defacing her beautiful face. The skies cried for her, speckling hurting sections in cold rain until it became a steady pour. Colors dulled as Water soaked Earth and healed her.

But even rain eventually turned to acid to only hurt Earth more. A simple and loving acting had turned noxious all because of the chemicals that now littered the world and clung to every elements' being. The creatures had invaded their bodies and changed them without their permission.

Light splayed through raindrops to cheer Earth up with her beautiful colors, but it did nothing.

Earth tumbled mountains to destroy towns and the harmful creatures, screaming at them to stop. She hurt. Roxas hurt. Water hurt. Axel was still enraged. Water hurled himself at the aliens or pulled them under, screeching at them to stop, but they persisted.

Axel crackled to Roxas to stick in there, sending up little wisps of smoke once more for the other to play with and have caress him all over. He touched Roxas with his red spikes to warm him with his touch. Axel wanted the pollution to cling to him instead so that Roxas could be safe. He'd protect him. Everything was fine.

Everything was fine.

Everything was fine.


End file.
